Five Wills of Early Birds of K &Q Co., VA

SOURCE:"Five Wills of the Early Birds of King and Queen County, Virginia”, contributed by Malcolm H. Harris, The Virginia Genealogist, Volume 17, Numbers 3 and 4, Volume 18, Number 1, John Frederick Dorman, Editor, 1973 and 1974.

The suit papers in the chancery cause Bird versus Dunn which was begun in the District Court for the counties of King and Queen, Essex and Middlesex, at King and Queen Courthouse on 19 April 1800, contained copies of five wills which were made by five consecutive generations of the well known Bird family which lived at Poplar Grove, St. Stephen’s Parish, King and Queen County.[1]

This unusual collection in addition to the Bird wills has teste copies of other wills, deeds, patents, depositions and other related instruments concerning a small tract of one hundred acres of land, which lay long the Pianketanke or Dragon Swamp, which had been in the dividend of land which was granted by patent to Col. William Claiborne, Jr., of Romancoke, King William County, on 26 March 1661.[2]

The Bird family of King and Queen is distinct and unrelated to the Byrd family of Westover, on James River, although the spelling has been adopted to suit the fancies of an occasional descendant, and it is probable that in England from which they came, in the last half of the seventeenth century, they may have had a common ancestor at some remote time.

It is unique that through three centuries the Bird family and their heirs have passed the title of the Poplar Grove plantation through five generations of Birds to the Boyds, and then to the Todds, who are the present owners, all of whom descend from the first Robert Bird.[3]

ROBERT BIRD(-1696)

Robert Bird, the immigrant, came to Virginia prior to 1683, [4] when he was granted a tract of land containing 330 acres which was next to Thomas Holmes’ plantation in New Kent County.[5]Within the next two years, Robert Bird received by grant two more tracts which were in the same locality. [6]In 1691 Robert Bird was granted a tract of 200 acres by the General Court, on Extoll’s Swamp, which had been formerly granted to Gabriel Hill[7] and later in the same year, another tract which had formerly been granted to Shirley Mordit and by him deserted.[8]

On 29 April 1693 Robert Bird was issued a patent to 200 acres in King and Queen County which lay along the Cheesecake Path, Bird’s road, James Park’s lines and Holmes’ land and a hill in Holmes’ line.[9]

On the adjacent plantation to Robert Bird lived Thomas Holmes who had acquired land by patent in 1647 while it was York County.In 1660[10]Thomas Holmes was granted 1,100 acres on the south side of Pianketanke Swamp[11] and another tract during the same year, of 1,024 acres, which was on the north ease side of Cheesecake Path and south side of the Pianketanke Swamp.[12]In 1668 he was granted another tract of 575 acres on the west side of the Pianketanke Swamp, adjoining his own land “where he now lives”.[13]

There is no record of the first marriage of Robert Bird and the name of his first wife is not known.It is probable that he brought his wife with him to Virginia for several of his children were born prior to any existing records concerning him.There were four children born to this marriage and the birth dates have been established for two of them:

1.William Bird was under age in 1699, when he was proposed for a Justice, which

would place his age at about 20 years, and his birth in 1678 or 1679.[14]

2.Robert Bird made a deposition in 1703 when he was 22 years old and therefore he was born in 1781.[15]

3.Anna Bird who married George Eastham. [16]

4.Mary Bird who married John Richards.[17]

After the death of Thomas Holmes, Robert Bird having lost his wife married Catherine, the widow of Thomas Holmes and moved into “the land and plantation of my predecessor Mr. Thomas Holmes decd.”.Thomas Holmes and Catherine his wife had two daughters, Sarah Holmes who became the wife of the Rev. James Boisseau, and Catherine Holmes, who was unmarried at the time that Robert Bird made his will.

Robert Bird was in the Commission of Justices for the county of New Kent which sat at the home of Mr. Edmond Tunstall on 29 Sept. 1690, “being the Court held above the river.”[18]

Robert Bird made his last will and testament 17 July 1694, when he was contemplating voyage for England.The probate at King and Queen Court on 14 Oct. 1690 is an error of the copyist.It is evident that he died in 1696 and since there is no further mention of the voyage, it is presumed that he died in King and Queen County.

The Boisseaus were French Huguenots who fled after the Edict of Nantes and sought refuge in England where they remained for some time.[19]

The Rev. James Boisseau in Nov. 1689 signed a receipt which is at Oxford for money advanced him as an emigrant minister to Virginia and he was recorded as a minister in St. John’s Parish, King and Queen County, in 1692-93.[20]He predeceased his wife Sarah who died in 1715.[21]

They were married before 10 Aug. 1706 [23] when they were executors of the last will of Edward Thomas.[24]She later married, after 1714, Robert Ransone of King and Queen Co.The Birds had children but their names are not of record.

Philemon Bird, who was probably a son of Robert Bird and Frances Williamson, married Hannah, daughter of George Braxton the Elder.They had three children:Braxton Bird who married Mary Price; Frances Bird who married William Eastham of Culpeper; and George Bird, Esq., who died without issue in 1793.After the death of Philemon Bird, his widow Hannah married Thomas Price of Middlesex County.Hannah Price made her will in 1771 in Middlesex County.[25]

Last Will & Testament of Robert Bird, I of England-

In the name of God Amen, I Robert Bird of King and Queen County in Virginia being by God’s grace bound out on a voyage for England considering the frailty of man’s life and that all flesh is subject to mortality do make and ordeyne this as my last will and testament in manner and form following, and first being penitent and sorry from the bottome of my heart for all my sins past most humbly desiring forgiveness for the same, I give and committ my soul unto allmighty God my Saviour and redeemer in whome and by the merritts of Jesus Christ I trust and believe assuredly to bee saved, and to have full remision of all my sins and that at the great day of ressurection the Almighty will of his wonderful goodness and mercy so decree that my sould with my body shall rise and appear with joy and inherite the Kingdome of heaven prepared for his elect and chosen and my body I desire may bee buryed in as decent and Christian manner where it shall please God and exect. hereafter named to appoynte and now for the settling my temporal estate and such goods and chattells as it hath pleased God to bestow uppon me I doe order, give and dispose the same in manner and form following (that is to say) First, I will that all my just debts, which in right and concience I owe to any person or persons whatsoever shall bee well and truly contented and paid in convenient time after my decease by my exec. hereafter named. Item – I give and bequeath unto my loving son William Bird and the heirs of his body forever my Quarter Plantation by the Dragon Swamp joyning to the plantation of Mr. John Richards[26] all the land an appurtenances thereunto fixed and belonging being about sixe hundred acres, as per conveyance or sale from Joseph Conkeram.[27] Item – I allsoe give and bequeath to my sayd son William Bird the halfe of my land which was partly given me and partly purchased of the Chickahominy Indyans[28] where Thomas Tarply now liveth and is my overseer in Pamunkey Neck of the south side of Mattapony River, that is to say my sayd son shall have his choyce whether hee will take his part where the plantation now is settled (to witt) from the dividing line between Benja. Arnold,[29] and myself, where John Hurt[30] now liveth and so up the river to a corner white oak and line alongst a ridge of ground which was once a division between Joseph Cockeram and myself to the upper part of the sayd land from the sayd line or ridge and so round the neck till it meet with the aforesaid line: the remainder or other halfe of the sayd land being hereafter in this will intended to be given and bequeathed to my loveing son Robert Bird and the heirs of his body forever. Item – I give and bequeath to my said son William Bird all the land and plantations, whereon William Southerland[31] and Patrick Shea[32] now liveth being by patent one hundred acres and I know it to be my just right although hitherto am bottled out of it. Item – I give to my son William Bird my father’s and brother William’s pictures and the one halfe of my books. Item – I give and bequeath to my loveing son Robert Bird and the heirs of his body forever all my land and the line of Gabriel Hill[33] decd. being by severall patents nine hundred and 30 acres viz – one patent dated the 20th day of April 1682 for two hundred thirty fo! ur acres and one other patent dated the twentyeth day of September 1683 for seven hundred acres. And also I give and bequeath to my sayd son Robert Bird and his heirs all the land and plantation with orchards houses and other appurtenances, which was formerly Gabriell Hills Sen. and which I bought of Nicholas Cooke and Anne his wife relict of the sayd Gabriell Hill decd. which sayd land is adjacent to my foregoing lands and is by estimation two hundred acres which being all together is about eleven hundred thirty four acres, which I give to my son Robert Bird and the heirs of his body forever. Item – I give and bequeath unto my sayd son Robert Bird and the heirs of his body forever the other halfe part or moiety of my land purchased of the Chickahominy Indyans, when his eldest brother William have made his choice according as I have expressed and limited him. I give and bequeath unto my sayd sons William and Robert Bird equall partnershipp and to their heirs and assigns all my right and title for terms of years or other ways as I have to the land and plantation of my predecessor Mr. Thomas Holmes, decd., where I now live with the houses orchards tanpitts or other appurtenances whatsoever thereunto belonging adviseing and chargeing my sayd sons that they do not disagree or enter into any law suit for priority in or about the same, but that they manage thesame, to their fair and equall profitts choosine rather to advise with some honest understanding neighbors in all poynts of difficulty as brothers ought to doo, then involve themselves in law and breake the bonds of brotherly affection. Item – I give and bequeath unto my loveing daughter Anne Bird and the heirs of her body forever, my plantation called Midd Summer Norton[34] with all the land houses orchards and other appurtenances thereunto belonging being by patent three hundred and thirty acres but if it shall please God, that my sayd daughter, should dye without issue of her body to enjoy the same then in such case I give all the sayd plantation and land to my son William Bird and the heirs of his body forever. I allso give to my sayd daughter Anne Bird my sister’s rock, which see sent me into Virginia. Item – I give and bequeath unto my loving daughter Mary Bird and the heirs of her body forever all my landed plantation with houses, orchards and all other appurtenances, which lyeth and is situate, upp Mattapony River and near Mattapony Run which I lately bought of John South and Eliza, his wife, being about three hundred acres; but be the same more or less it matters not. And also I give my sayd daughter Judgmt. and exon if I have agt. John Dobbs for the building of a forty foote Tobacco house which she may have built upon the sayd land but if it should please God my sayd daughter should dye without issue of her body to enjoy the same, then and in such case, I give all the sayd land plantation and premises to my son Robert Bird and the heirs of his body forever. Item – I give and bequeath unto my loveing wife Catherine Bird and all my aforesaid children a mourning ring apiece of twelve shillings and six pence price a piece. And also I give a mourning ring apiece of the like value to my two daughters in law (viz) Sarah Holmes now wife of Mr. James Boisseau CLK[35] and Catherine Holmes, her sister all which sayd rings shall be proved and payed for out of my personall estate with all convenient speed by my exectrs. Hereafter named; and for all other personall estate as Negroes, plate, horses, cattle, sheep, hoggs, household goods, tobacco or other thing or commoditys whatsoever that is of my owne proper estate my will and meaning is that the same be equally devided between my aforesaid wife Catherine Bird and four children (SC) – William, Robert, Anna and Mary Bird whom God bless, and of this my last and only will and testament I make and ordeyne and appoint my aforesaid son William Bird, my aforesaid daughter Anna Bird, my sole exectrs. and my trusty and well bestowed friend, John Walker, Gent.,[36] of King and Queen County my along trustee to see my sayd will duly performed and complyed with until my sayd children exectrs. aforesaid are enabled by law to take the same upon themselves, that is to say my friend, Mr. John Walker sahll not take my sayd estate nor any part thereof into his own custody or remove or alter the same from the plantations or places where the same is now managed, but shall as govern. of my sayd children exec. aforesaid councill advise and direct them in the rightmanagement thereof and endeavour to defend my sayd will from any violation in testamony whereof I hereunto set my hand and seal this seventeenth day of July one thousand sixe hundred ninety four.

Robert Bird (Seal)

Signed sealed and delivered in the presence of us. John Richards Francis Hill[37] Thomas Phelps[38] At aCourt held for King and Queen County xbr 14th 1696, Mr. John Richards, Francis Hill upon their corporal oath, taken upon the Holy evangelists declared that they saw Mr. Robert Bird late decd. signed

seale and publish this as his last will and testament and that he was then in his perfect sense and memory.

Teste: Geo. Clough[39]

FIVE WILLS OF THE EARLY BIRDS

OF KING AND QUEEN COUNTY, VIRGINIA

By Malcolm H. Harris, West Point, Virginia

Continued from v. 17

ARMISTEAD BIRD (- 1777)

Armistead Bird (- 1771), son and heir of Robert Armistead Bird, came into possession of his father’s estate, Poplar Grove.

His brother Parmenas Bird received the tract of land in King William county lying between the Mattaponi River and Herring Creek, which had been leased from the Chickahomonie Indians by the first Robert Bird, and by him devised to his sons.It had been owned by Robert Armistead Bird in 1745 when a ferry was established from Todd’s warehouse to the lands of Robert Armistead Bird.It is likely that Parmenas Bird died early for in 1782 the tract called Bird’s Quarter of 612 acres of land was charged to Robert Bird.[40]

The original lease to Robert Bird was charged to Maj. William Bird his son in 1704, and the tract contained 1200 acres of land.[41]

Armistead Bird was named in the Commission of Justice for the county of King and Queen on 12 June 1765 and again on 7 May 1768.[42]

Armistead Bird married Barbara, daughter of Rev. Adam Dickie and his wife who was a daughter of Rev. Hancock Dunbar, minister in St. Stephen’s Parish, King and Queen County.[43]

WILL OF ARMISTEAD BIRD (- 1777)

In the name of God Amen I Armistead Bird of the county of King and Queen and do make and ordain this to be my last will and testament in manner and form as followeth,

First, I give unto my son Robert Bird all my pictures my mourning ring my sord and one half of my books.

Item I give unto my son Wiliam Bird my plain gold ring and the other half of my books.

Item my will and desire is that all of my estate be kept together and my loving wife Barbara Bird to have all the profits of my estate to maintain her and my five children

Katherine Bird, Robert Bird, William Bird, Judith Bird and Barbara Dunbar Bird, until one of my children comes of age or marries at which time my will and desire is that one third part of my estate be set apart for my loving wife and my children then of age or married to have a child’s part of the remaining two thirds of my estate.

Item my will and desire is that my estate shall still continue together except the child’s part that is of age or married until another of my children comes of age or marries at which time they shall receive a child’s part until they have all received their parts as they come of age or marries at which time I lend to my loving wife Barbara Bird the third part of my estate that was set apart during her widowhood and at her decease or on the day of her marriage to be equally divided amongst all my children.

Item I constitute and appoint my brother Robert Bird my true and lawful executor and my loving wife extrx of this my last will and testament but desire that my loving wife Barbara Bird may not be extrx or have any part of the profits of my estate after the day of her marriage.Likewise constitute and appoint Edmund Byne[44]my true and lawful executor of this my last will and testament in case my brother Robert Bird should die, in

Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 17th day of April 1771.

Signed and sealed published and declared

Armistead Bird (Seal)

In presence of

Michael OsborneJ. Lewis

Thomas CourtneyGeorge Richards

MemorandumI authorize my executors to make John Bynes orphans a rite title according to the agreement to all my tracts of land adjoining the said John Bynesorphans land Richard Tunstalls and Boswell Richard’s by estimation eighteen acres and desire that this codicil may be fixt unto and be part of my last will and testament bearing date the 17th day of April 1771 in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 28th April 1771.

Armistead Bird (Seal)

Signed sealed published in the presence of:

William Bird Jr.

Philemon Bird

Christ Lewis[45]

At a Court held for King and Queen County the 13th day of January 1772.

This will was presented in court by Robert Bird one of the executors therein named, who made oathe thereto according to law the same being proved by the oaths of Thomas Courtney[46] and Iverson Lewis[47] and the codicil thereto annexed being proved by the oaths of William and Christopher Lewis two of the witnesses thereunto subscribing is ordered to be recorded and on the motion of the said executor and he giving security, certificate was granted him for obtaining a probat thereof in due form and liberty is reserved for Barbara Bird widow of the said deceased and an executrix mentioned in the will to join in the probate thereof when she shall think proper.

TestJohn Tunstall CLK

A Copy TesteThomas W. Todd D. C. C.[48]

ROBERT BIRD (- 1797)

Robert Bird (- 1797), son and heir of Armistead Bird (- 1771) and Barbara Dickie, was the fifth generation of the family to reside at “Poplar Grove”.

Robert Bird married his cousin, Janet, daughter of Adam Dickie of King and Queen County.She was a sister of Barbara Dickie whose will was found in the suit papers of Hanover County, in which will she named her sister Janet Roy (1817), James Dickie, her brother, and her sister Mary Dunbar Edwards, who was the wife of James Edwards (1817)[49].

Robert Bird and Janet his wife had two daughters:Fanny Bird, and Janet Bird who was born 24 Jan. 1783 and died July 1851.[50]

After the death of Robert Bird in 1797, his widow Janet Bird married for her second husband, in 1801, Capt. Beverley Roy (1760 – 1821), son of Thomas Roy (1712-1772) and Judith Beverly (1710-1750), daughter of Capt. Harry Beverley of Middlesex County and “Newlands”, Spotsylvania County.[51]They Roys had two sons:Dr. Beverly D. Roy and Dr. Augustus Gustavus Dunbar Roy.[52]

By his first marriage Capt. Beverley Roy had, among other children, a daughter Jane Wiley Beverley Roy (born 13 March 1793, died 19 March 1856) who married 28 Dec. 1817 Parmenas Bird, son of Philemon Bird and Joanna Bird his cousin, of “Cypress Hall”, which is an old Bird plantation adjoining “Popular Grove.”[53]

Fanny Bird, the second daughter of Robert Bird and Janet his wife married Col. Robert Boyd of King and Queen County.[54]Their son Robert Bird Boyd married Mary Pryor of Williamsburg, Va, and had two daughters:Fannie Pryor who married Capt. Marius Pendleton Todd of King and Queen County and Roberta Bird who married John Washington of Caroline County.[55]After the death of Robert B. Boyd, his widow in 1838 married for her second husband Walker Hawes of King William County.

It was through the marriage of Capt. Marius P. Todd that the Todds came to “Poplar Grove”, which is now the home of Robert Boyd Todd, a great-grandson.

WILL OF ROBERT BIRD (- 1797)

In the name of God Amen; I Robert Bird of the parish of St. Stephen’s in the County of King and Queen although in an infirm state of health yet of disposing mind and memory do make publish and declare this to by my last will and testament in manner and form following hereby revoking all wills and testaments herefore made by me.

ImprimisIn case my sisters Katharine Bird and Barbara Dunbar Bird or either of them shall survive my mother and at time be unmarried I lend to my said sisters one hundred and fifty acres of my high land and twenty acres of low grounds of the Bestland swamp, which said high land I wish to be laid off adjoining the land of Benjamin Gaines[56] and Henry Gaine[57]s and Robins branch[58] and to include the dwelling house where my mother now resides which said land I devise to my said sisters to hold so long as they remain unmarried and in case one of them shall marry either before or after the death of my mother, I divise that my said sister who is, shall remain unmarried shall be entitled to the exclusive benefit of use of the said land until she shall marry or die.

Item – In case my estate other than my lands mill and Negroes and such things above devised to my brother William Bird shall not be sufficient to discharge my just debts I devise and direct that my executors hereinafter mentioned shall sell so much of my lands which I purchased of Robert Smith[59] and Guy Smith[60] as will be sufficient to discharge the deficiency and that they make sale thereof on credit on two equal annual payments taking bonds with sufficient security for the same.

Item I land to my beloved wife Janet all the residue of my estate of every kind or nature whatsoever and including the reversion of the lands herein devised to my sisters aforesaid after the determination of the said estate devised to them for the purpose of supporting herself and my children to hold the same so long as my said wife shall continue my widow or until my said children shall die or either of their attain legal age or marry and whenever either of said children shall attain legal age or marry then I lend to my said wife one third part of my said estate so long as she remains my said widow.

ItemIn case my said wife shall marry again then I devise my whole estate lend to my wife as aforesaid to my two daughters Janet Bird and Frances Bird and in case my said wife shall remain my widow until either of my said daughters shall attain legal age or marry then I direct my said estate to be divided and one third part thereof to be allotted to each of my said daughters and at the death or marriage of my said wife, I direct that such part as she shall hold shall be equally divided between my said daughters, and such estate as I hereby devise to my said daughters, I devise to be held by them and their heirs forever.But in case one of my said daughters shall die and leave no child living at the time of her death I then devise that such child asshall survive shall be entitled to the part of my estate hereby devise to such child so dying without child living to hold to the said survivor and her heirs forever; and in case the said survivor of my said children shall die and leave no child living at the time of her death, then I devise such estate as I have herein devised to my said daughters to my brother William bird Jun and his heirs forever subject to the payment to my said wife of so much as I have receive with her in marriage and also subject to the payment of five hundred pounds to each of my said sisters Katherine Bird and Barbara Dunbar Bird and in case either of my said sisters shall die and leave no child living at the time of her death.It is my will that the survivor of my said sisters shall be entitled to receive the said five hundred pounds above devise to be paid to such one so dying.Lastly I appoint my brother Wm. Bird Jun[61] and James Dickie[62] executors of this my last will and testament.In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 11th day of May 1796.

Robert Bird (Seal)

The words for the security on the other side and the words without child on this side erased before signed.Signed published and declared by the said Robert Bird for his last will and testament in presence of us and in his presence and the presence of each other we hereto subscribe our names as witness

Ivison Lewis[63]

John Downey

Parmenas Bird[64]

At a Court held for King & Queen County at the courthouse on Monday the 13 of June 1796.

This last will and testament of Robert Bird Sen. Deceased was offered for proof by William Bird Jun one of the executors therein named and was proved by the oaths of Ivison Lewis John Downey and Parmanas Bird the subscribing witness thereto and also by the oath of the said executors and is ordered to be recorded.

[1]The collections of papers in the chancery suit entitled Bird vs. Dunn were sent to Mr. Carey C. Hall, who knew that the records of the county were lost by fire in 1864 when the Federal troops under Gen. Kilpatrick burned the courthouse, the clerk’s office, and in fact all the houses in the village, excepting one, in retaliation for the death of Col. Ulric Dalgreen..

[26] Virginia Patents, v. 9, p. 126.On 20 April 1682 John Richards was granted 1676 acres in St. Stephen’s Parish, New Kent County.On 16 Jan. 1714 John Richards patented 750 acrew lying on the Dragon and Robins Brancy, being part of a patent granted John Richards decd, father of John Richards, for 1676 acres granted 16 Oct. 1681. (Ibid., v.10, p. 158).

[27]Deed of Joseph Cockeram and Mary his wife to Robert Bird, all of St. Stephen’s Parish (King and Queen County), dated 9 May 1679, for 500 acres lying on Robins Branch and Main swamp of Dragon, among the suit papers, Bird vs Dunn, p. 93.

[28] Executive Journals of the Council of Colonial Virginia, v. 2 (Richmond, 127), p. 259, plans for the survey of the lands of the Chickahominie Indians by Mr. Henry Beverly, Surveyor of King William County, according to resolves of the House of Burgesses 24 June 1702.

[29] Virginia Patents, v. 9, p. 561. Benjamin Arnold was granted in 1703, 1770 acres of land lying between Hickory Creek and Mattapony River, in King William County.

[34] There were several places in England called Midsummer Norton, one of which was in County Kent.It is probable that the Bird family were domiciled at one of these places.

[35] There is an account of the Boisseau family in Tyler’s Quarterly Historical and Genealogical Magazine, v. 10, pp. 118 et seq.

[36] John Walker was in the commission of peace of King and Queen County in 1702 (Executive Journals of the Council of Colonial Virginia, v. 2, p. 155).

[37] Virginia Patents, v. 9, p. 551.Francis Hill was granted 300 acres of land on Herring Creek, King William County, in 1703.

[38] Thomas Phelps was charged with 400 acres in King and Queen County in 1704 (Wertenbaker, op. cit., p. 228.

[39] George Clough was deputy clerk of the court of King and Queen County during the clerkship ofRobert Beverley.Later, he was clerk of New Kent County (The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, v. 1, p. 369.

[43] Alfred Bagby, King and Queen County, Virginia (New York and Washington, 1908) , p. 326.

[44] In 1782 John Byne was charged with 236 acres of land in King and Queen County.Edmund Byne married in 1770 Sarah Ann, daughter of John Lewis and Sarah Iveson his wife, and Edmund Byne moved his family to Georgia in 1785.They had a son John Byne and eleven other children (statement of the late Gilbert Bernet Lewis).

[45] The witness to the codicil of the will were near neighbors of the Birds of Poplar Grove.

[46] For information on Thomas Courtney see Bagby, op. cit., p. 328.

[47] Iverson Lewis was a son of John Lewis and Sarah Iveson his wife, of Lewisville, King and Queen County.

[48] Thomas W. Todd was a deputy under Robert Pollard, the elder, Clerk of King and Queen County.

[54] Fleet, op. cit.,v. 14 (Richmond, 1942), p. 87,will of Robert Boyd of King and Queen County, 1820.

[55] Ibid., v. 14, p. 89, Will of Robert B. Boyd, 1838.

[56] Ibid., v. 4, p. 89, will of Harry Gaines, 1786.

[57] Ibid., p. 89.

[58] Robins Branch was a small stream which emptied into the Dragon Run and appeared frequently in the suit papers of the Chancery cause Bird vs. Dunn.

[59] Robert Smith was charged with 879 acres in the Tax Return for King and Queen County in 1782.

[60] Ibid.Guy Smith was charged with 189 ½ acres

[61] Ibid.William Bird Jr. was charged with 744 acres.

[62] Ibid.James Dickie was charged with 512 acres.

[63] Iveson Lewis was a son of John Lewis and Sarah Iveson and a resident of Lewisville, King and Queen County.In 1782 he was charged with 606 acres of land in King and Queen County.

[64] Parmenas Bird, son of Philemon Bird and Joanna Bird (cousins) of Cypress Hall, King and Queen County.Philemon Bird (an orphan) was charged with 1238 acres of land in King and Queen County in 1782.See McGill, op. cit., p. 919.

[65] Robert Pollard, Clerk, was in the clerk’s office from 1797 to 1831, when he was succeeded by his son Robert Pollard.

[66]Thomas Todd, . who was deputy clerk of the court of King and Queen County, was a brother of Rev. William Todd who was a nephew of Robert Pollard.These men were all trained in the clerk’s office at Hanover under William Pollard who was for many years clerk ofcourt in Hanover County.